dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2025-22437

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-02
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In setMediaButtonReceiver of multiple files, there is a possible way to launch arbitrary activities from background due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A logic error in the setMediaButtonReceiver method across multiple Android framework files allows an attacker to launch arbitrary activities from the background without user interaction, resulting in local privilege escalation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the media button receiver intent, enabling a malicious app to trigger activity launches through the system media button handling mechanism.

MitigationApply the vendor-specific Android security patch for CVE-2025-22437 to the framework/base components. Users should ensure their devices receive the latest monthly security update.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 13.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB
    Affected if Version is exactly 13.0 (the affected version listed)
  2. Check security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB
    Affected if Patch level is earlier than the vendor-specific fix for CVE-2025-22437 (compare your date to Google's Android 13 security bulletins)
  3. Verify framework/base media button handling code
    Inspect the framework.jar or services.jar in /system/framework/ on a rooted device or through a rooted emulator. Search for the setMediaButtonReceiver method and verify if it lacks proper intent validation
    Affected if The method accepts and processes intents without validating that the media button receiver is a legitimate system component

You are affected if your Android version is exactly 13.0 AND your security patch level predates the CVE-2025-22437 fix; version 13.0 devices without the vendor patch remain vulnerable to unauthenticated activity launches via the media button receiver mechanism.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-specific Android security patch for CVE-2025-22437 to the framework/base components. Users should ensure their devices receive the latest monthly security update.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to Android 14 or later, or install the latest available Android 13 security patch level from the device manufacturer

  1. 1. Check current Android version by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. 2. Verify the device is running Android 13.0 (exactly) which is affected by this vulnerability
  3. 3. Check if an over-the-air (OTA) update is available for the device: Go to Settings > System > Software Update
  4. 4. If an update is available, download and install it to receive the security patch that addresses CVE-2025-22437
  5. 5. Alternatively, if the device manufacturer has released a specific security patch level for Android 13.0, update to that patch level
  6. 6. After updating, verify the Android security patch level is newer than the one containing this vulnerability
Caveat Upgrading Android versions may cause compatibility issues with apps not yet optimized for newer Android releases; some legacy apps or device-specific features may not function properly

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $12,352.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-22437 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-22437 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data